When things go wrong with your computer it can be so frustrating and overwhelming that you may find yourself reaching out for help immediately. Before you contact someone for help we strongly recommend that you perform some basic steps on your computer before taking drastic measures.

FIRST – Restart your device

There are many operations your computer may be performing that can cause your device to not work properly. For example, let’s say you opened a program early in the day which you then closed later on. Hours later you try to do something and it won’t work. It’s possible that the program that you opened earlier in the day did not close properly and is still using valuable system resources that the action you are now trying to perform needs available for the task to complete.

Restarting your machine should always be the first step to troubleshooting your device no matter what the issue is. Restarting your machine will force programs to close and may trigger updates to complete installation.

SECOND – Determine the root of the issue

Many times people believe their computers aren’t working when just one particular thing isn’t working. Try to narrow your issue down as best as you can by first determining if your issue requires internet access. If your trying to visit a website or check your email or anything else that involves the internet you can try restarting the modem that your internet provider sent to you by disconnecting power waiting 30 seconds and reapplying power to the device. After about 2-3 minutes restart your computer and try to perform your action once again. If your issue doesn’t require internet access, try to write down as much information as you can regarding your issue. For example, if your issue is that a program won’t open, you would want to document what program won’t load and any error messages that appear. Provide any information you have documented regarding your issue to your local repair shop.

THIRD – Be wary of BAD tech support companies and software

We can’t stress this enough – no one will EVER call your phone to tell you your computer has a problem. Dell won’t even call you to tell you if there is a recall on your device! Never trust someone who calls you and asks you to allow them to take control of your computer. If you contact your Internet Provider and they provide you with a 3rd party phone number for tech support be VERY WARY some of these companies provide semi-legitimate services that you could receive at a fraction of the cost at your local computer repair shop (and they will likely be more thorough since they will be able to diagnose the physical hardware of the computer more easily). Some of the customers that have contacted us thought they received a legitimate service but later found that they had unauthorized charges on their credit cards that they did not make.

The same is true for any software or advertisements that you may come across while connected to the internet. Many programs will claim that they can automatically find drivers, clean your registry and perform other maintenance on your computer. Many of these free applications are malware meaning they prompt other advertisements to display on your computer or can appear as free trials prompting you to pay after doing a “free scan”. The rule of thumb is to never trust “free software” unless you have a recommendation from someone knowledgeable you trust!

FOURTH – Do updates

If your having issues with your computer be sure that you have the latest windows updates installed. If you don’t have the latest updates installed something you are expecting to work properly may have already been resolved and without the updates in place you won’t know that is a possible resolution. If you have all your Windows updates in place and your problem is related to a website not working properly or something else involving the internet, make sure you have your web applications fully up to date too. Make sure you have the latest version of your web browsers, Adobe Flash player and Java installed.

If you aren’t able to resolve your issue on your own contact Jester’s Computer Services for additional support. We are a small family owned and operated business that has been in business for over 20 years! We offer remote support for those with high-speed internet access. Visit our contact us page to reach out for additional help.

By Ayse Stenabaugh

So, your internet is chugging along one day until suddenly you attempt to use the internet and you receive the dreaded “page can’t be displayed” warning instead of the website you were trying to visit. Never fear! Before you take your computer to a repair shop there are a few basic troubleshooting steps that even the non-computer savvy can complete to try to resolve your issues first.

Restart your devices

More often than not, restarting your computer and your modem and router (if you have one) will resolve your issue.

Turn off your modem. Your modem is usually provided by your internet service provider and will usually have a phone line or coax cable running to it. To turn it off simply unplug power from the device until you no longer see any lights. If you still see lights after unplugging search for a backup battery that may be installed on the modem and remove that for 30 seconds and then replace it.

Once your modem is unplugged or turned off, if you have a router you will need to turn that off as well. If you don’t have a router separate from your modem you can skip to step 4. If you have Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters you will want to turn those devices off now as well.

Now once your devices are off wait 30 seconds and reconnect power to your MODEM ONLY.

After 3-5 minutes your modem should be fully rebooted and you can plug in any routers and/or Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters that you are using.

Last boot up your computer again and try to re-connect to your network

Try another device

To determine if your network is the problem try another computer or device on your network. If you can connect using another device on the same network the problem is most likely in the device itself. See the next suggestion for more troubleshooting tips if this doesn’t resolve your issue

Try another network

Like most electronic devices your modem or router can fail too. Try connecting your device to a friend, family member or neighbors network next. If you still can’t connect then the problem is likely within your computer or device.

Still not working? If your computer performed updates recently it may be a driver issue. If not, your wireless card or device may be failing. Either way at Jester’s Computers we can diagnose your issue for just $32.50 or less. We troubleshoot and repair most issues within 24 hours so why not bring your computer in for support. You can contact us at (717) 642-6611

There can be a number of reasons why a desktop computer monitor is not displaying an image. Before taking your computer or monitor to your local repair shop you can try some easy troubleshooting steps below to help determine the cause of your display issue.

If Monitor Displays “NO SIGNAL” or “SELF TEST” – this means that your computer monitor is working properly but isn’t getting a signal from the computer. Start troubleshooting your issue by ensuring that both ends of the video cable that goes between your computer and your monitor are pushed in the whole way. Your monitor cable will look like one of the three examples below. If you have a VGA or HDMI cable be careful not to screw the adapter in place too tightly. You also want to be careful not to pull on the cable until the screws have been loosened completely from the back of the computer.

VGA

DVI

HDMI

Monitor power light is off – If your monitor is not displaying a power light then you might have a problem with your monitor. Ensure that the power adapter to the monitor is plugged in completely. Test your power outlet with another device such as a lamp to ensure the power outlet works. If you have another cable that matches your monitors power cable you can try using that or take your monitor to a local repair shop to see if they can test your monitor. If you have another monitor that you can plug into your computer you can test that just to rule out any potential issues with your computer.

My monitor has power but I have no display – usually this points to a video card or display driver issue. You can first check to make sure your video cable is plugged into the proper display port on the back of your computer. If you have two separate areas on your computer that have the same display adapter your computer has on-board video as well as a video card. Try plugging into the video card (usually away from other connections) first and if no-signal or self test is displayed on your monitor try the other port.

What should you do if I still have no display on my computer monitor?

If the above don’t resolve your issue you may need to take your computer to a local computer repair shop for additional troubleshooting and support. Your technician will want to see your computer tower first to ensure that the display output from your computer is working properly.

If your computer displays properly on another monitor your technician can check to ensure that your screen resolution isn’t set too high for the monitor your normally use. If the resolution is within normal ranges your monitor may need repaired or replaced. Replacing your out of warranty monitor may be the most sensible option depending upon the monitors age and specifications.

If your computer does not display properly on another monitor your technician will need to perform further diagnostics to determine if other components including motherboard, memory or power supply are contributing to the lack of display.

If your computer requires a new video card the cost of the repair will depend upon the quality of parts purchased and the video requirements that you need. If your using your computer for gaming or programs that are graphics intensive the cost of your video card will be higher. Basic video cards can cost as little as $49.99 or even less but you don’t want to sacrifice too much quality for price. The video cards that we purchase for the average gamer is around $150. Part installation fees can vary from repair shop to repair shop at Jester’s Computers we charge $15 for part installation.